Connection
by Rosimae
Summary: Alternate ending to the 6th chapter of Broken. The Guardians are forced to break Jack's staff and the consequences are rather unexpected.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Alright, so I had so many requests to do this that I finally decided to follow through with it. I just hope it lives up to you expectations! This is an alternate ending to the sixth chapter of Broken, but I've tried to make it so it could be read as a stand alone. However, it will probably make a lot more sense if you read Broken, and FrostFeathers will also play a part.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rise of the Guardians

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

_"If you break that, I will let you go."_

Bloody Bones' offer hung in the air like a bad smell as the Guardians looked at each other and thought about what to do. Occasionally, one of them offered a half-hearted solution to their problem as the heat of the room drained their energy just as surely as the cages drained their power.

"That won't work either," Bunny said, shooting down yet another idea listlessly.

"I have nothing else, then," North said, looking defeated.

"Me either," Bunny sighed. Sandy shook his head and Tooth looked close to tears. Jack was wracking his brain, but he knew there was nothing any of them could do.

He bit his lip, before forcing down his apprehension. He could do this, for them, for his family.

"Hand me my staff," Jack said, reaching through the bars for it.

"No Jack," North said. "We won't break it."

"We don't want to hurt ya, mate," Bunny said.

"But there's no other way out," Jack said. "And…and you won't be the ones hurting me, I'll be the one doing it."

"Jack," Tooth said. "That's just as bad."

"If not worse," Bunny muttered.

"Please," Jack said, looking at them, begging them. "Please. Let me do this for you. I'll be okay, I promise. Just, please let me do this. It's my fault we're here in the first place."

"Not true," North said. "You were just doing Guardian job, even before you were Guardian. Is all our fault."

"Still," Jack said. "We don't have another choice."

The others looked at each other. They knew they were out of options, they knew breaking Jack's staff was the only chance they had of getting out of there, but they couldn't do it. They couldn't betray Jack like that. Had promised themselves they _wouldn't_.

And no matter what Jack said, it would be a betrayal, just like Bloody Bones wanted. And none of them wanted to do that to Jack. None of them wanted to hurt him more than he had been hurt in his life.

But then they heard something they weren't expecting.

"Please," Jack whispered, sounding utterly defeated. "I can't be here anymore."

And that broken plea did it. It was obvious to the others that Jack was not handling being caged here well at all. Not only were the cages sapping their powers, but the heat was stifling to them, which meant it had to be unbearable to the winter spirit.

A glance at Jack confirmed this as they noticed his flushed cheeks, fever bright eyes, and continuous trembling. Even if they didn't break his staff, North wondered how much longer the winter spirit could last in these conditions.

"Alright mate," Bunny said, reluctantly picking up the staff. "Just, promise you'll be okay, right?"

"I promise," Jack said, although with how weak he felt, how drained, he wasn't sure if that was true. But if it got his family out of there, he would do it, even if it killed him.

Jack reached for his staff once more.

"Oh Jack," Tooth said. "We're not going to make you do it."

Jack was surprised at how well they seemed to understand his connection with the staff and the wind, even if they didn't know the extent of it. Jack was prepared to break it, but he knew it would cost him dearly, because that staff represented a friendship that had lasted through his whole life. Jack was prepared to break it, but he knew that it would be like ripping out his own heart.

"We'll get you out mate, we promise," Bunny said, twirling the fragile wood in his paws. Sandy nodded in agreement.

"Alright," North said. "Let's get this done quickly, so we can all go home."

Jack watched anxiously as North took one end and Bunny held the other. Tooth and Sandy stood off to the side and Jack met their gazes briefly before turning back to stare at his staff. Apprehension filled him as North began the count down.

"One."

"Two," Bunny continued.

"Three," North and Bunny said together. Together they bent the staff, fast, until it split in half. All four winced at the resounding _crack_, echoing like gunfire, and waited for the cry of pain that would surely follow.

But it never came.

Four pairs of eyes darted from the broken staff to the smaller cage that contained their youngest member.

For Jack, the break had been the worst he had experienced and he wasn't sure if it was because he was already weakened by the cage, the staff had been broken so often, or a combinations of the two. Or it could've been something else entirely.

But right then, Jack didn't care about the reason why. His breath caught in his throat, his vision blurred, and it felt as though someone had poured molten lava over his heart to run rampant in his veins. He tried to look up at his friends, his family, to assure them everything would be okay, but his vision went white and he knew no more.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Alright, here's the next part :) Sorry to make you all wait so long! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rise of the Guardians

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

"Jack! Jack!" Tooth cried as she stared at the boy who was collapsed on the floor of his cage.

"Come on, mate," Bunny said, feeling his stomach twist in painful knots. "You promised you would be okay."

"Jack," North barely whispered, cradling his half of the staff as he stared at the white haired spirit of winter.

Sandy gripped the bars and shook them, willing his power back to him and wanting to scream. It wasn't fair, why was Jack always the one suffering? What had he ever done to deserve any of this?

But despite their pleas, Jack remained motionless, a pale figure standing out starkly against the black of the cage.

North was unsure how long they stayed like that, calling hoarsely for Jack to wake up, weakly shaking the bars. It could have been hours or days and none of it mattered. All that mattered was getting to Jack, was making sure he would be okay.

"Bloody Bones!" Bunny shouted, his voice rough. North was sat as close to Jack as he could get; Tooth was sobbing on his shoulder. Sandy stood beside North, still gripping the bars of the cage as though wishing he could turn them into dust. Or dreamsand and make this nightmare disappear.

"Bloody Bones! Get your butt down here!" Bunny shouted. But he had been shouting the same thing for the past who knew how long with no results.

Finally, Bunny slumped down next to North and stared morosely at Jack. He had failed him once again. He had promised to look out for the kid and he had failed him. If only he had been a little quicker fighting against Bloody Bones and his creepy army. If only he had brought more egg bombs, then maybe they wouldn't be in this mess.

Silence fell on the group as they huddled around each other, attempting to assure each other everything would be okay while knowing that might not be the case.

And slowly, one by one, they all fell into fitful slumber.

~ROTG~

Sandy was with Jack, creating beautiful creatures in sand and ice. They were laughing, playing under the stars as dreamsand dolphins swam around them and snowflakes fell softly towards the ground.

And then the dolphins turned on Jack, attacked him. They twined around his body like rope, wrapping faster and faster, tying Jack up. Jack cried out for help, reached a hand for Sandy, but Sandy just sat there and watched, a cruel smirk on his face as the dreamsand slowly engulfed Jack.

~ROTG~

Tooth laughed as she flew beside Jack; it had been a long time since she had flown for the sole purpose of having fun.

"Come on, this way," Jack called, laughing as he flew over the waves of the ocean. Tooth followed the winter spirit farther out, sea spray in her face, until land was just a distant memory.

And then she tackled him, dragging Jack into the water. He fought her, struggling against her grip as she forced him under the waves and held him down. She laughed as his struggles lessened and he slowly sank further into the waves.

~ROTG~

Bunny was laughing at Jack's attempts to paint an egg. Really, the kid just was not an artist when it came to details. But he was trying, and he seemed to be enjoying the time he spent with Bunny, so Bunny had no problem with it.

"Maybe you should try a simpler design, mate," Bunny suggested, laughing again as Jack stuck his tongue out at him. Bunny stood up to get a better look at Jack's newest attempt, rounding the table to stand behind the winter spirit.

He wrapped his paws around Jack's neck, slowly tightening his grip. Jack began to struggle, but Bunny didn't let go, grinning as the fight slowly drained from Jack, his lips turned blue, and he slumped forward. An egg, green with a brilliant yellow sunflower, dropped from limp fingers to crack on the ground.

~ROTG~

North felt truly happy, sitting in front of his roaring fire as he read. He could hear Jack in the background, flitting between the shelves of his bookcases as he searched for a book. It hadn't taken long for North to learn that Jack loved to read, and North was only too happy to allow him to peruse his library.

Jack was like a son to him, and seeing him happy made North feel more content. More happy.

"Hey, North?" Jack asked, holding a book up as he came to stand in front of the Russian. "This any good?"

"Yes Jack," North chuckled, standing up from his armchair. "That one is very good."

North grabbed Jack by the shoulders and pushed him backwards, towards the fire. Jack gave a shout of surprise, dropping the book as he tried to stop his backward momentum, but North kept him moving. He gave the boy another shove and watched as Jack fell. The flames in the hearth roared upward and North chuckled as he listened to the winter spirit's screams.

~ROTG~

"Oh, how sweet."

North jolted awake, breathing heavily and wiping sweat from his brow. He shuddered at the nightmare, feeling sick. Footsteps made him glance up, taking his mind off what his dreamself had done.

Bloody Bones was staring at them all huddled together, his smile widening in a vicious grin as though he knew exactly what North had dreamed. As though he knew just how unsuccessful North was at pushing the dream aside.

Bunny jerked awake with a pained cry, startling both Tooth and Sandy. Tooth woke, tears streaming down her face, her eyes haunted. Sandy's face was a mask, stony and unreadable.

"It's about bloody time," Bunny growled, getting his emotions under control. He couldn't help the slight shudder that went through his body as he remembered Jack's struggles against him. It made him sick and he was ready to be out of this awful place. Ready to make sure Jack was okay. "We did what you asked. Now let us out."

"What? So you can come back in full force to rescue your friend?" Bloody Bones asked mockingly. "I think not."

"But you promised," Tooth said, voice shaking slightly. She couldn't believe what she had dreamed, what she had _done_. Jack was her friend, but in the dream she had attacked him, forced him under water. She _knew_ drowning was his biggest fear.

"I never promised anything."

"We made a deal," Bunny said, furious. Sandy narrowed his eyes, angry, not only at Bloody Bones, but at himself as well. Why had he attacked Jack in his dream? He couldn't get the image of Jack's terrified face, pleading with him, from his mind. He glanced at Jack, hoping to see the boy awake, but Jack still lay motionless and pale, separated from them by awful black bars.

"But we never shook on it," Bloody Bones said, pulling Sandy from his thoughts. He wandered over to Jack and circled the cage, looking at the boy. "My, my, he does not look good, does he?"

The Guardians felt their stomachs clench as they each thought of their dream, how they had betrayed Jack, attacked him, hurt him.

Bloody Bones reached a hand inside the cage and stroked Jack's cheek.

"Don't touch him," North growled, gripping the bars and wishing he could tear them apart. He wasn't going to let his nightmare scare him. He was going to fix this, he was going to make sure Jack was okay. He was.

Bloody Bones grinned. "Or what?" he asked, wrapping his hand around Jack's throat.

"Or we'll kill you," Bunny said. Bloody Bones's hand around Jack's throat made him shudder, remembering his own paws circling that pale neck as Jack's life drained away. Bunny shook his head, it wouldn't do to dwell on such a dream, he would never do that in his life. He turned his attention back on his anger towards Bloody Bones, glaring at him.

There was such hatred and conviction in Bunny's voice when he threatened him that Bloody Bones almost pulled away. _Almost._ But then he reminded himself that they were caged; there was _nothing_ they could do.

"I don't think so," Bloody Bones said. He tightened his grip around Jack's throat, digging his long, sharp nails into the skin above his jugular.

The four Guardians could only watch as blood welled up around the nails, staining the too pale skin red.

"Stop it!" Tooth shrieked as Jack's lips turned almost purple from lack of oxygen. A flash of Jack's face, pale and terrified as she held him under, played in her mind. She shoved it aside, reminding herself it wasn't real, and threw herself at the bars, reaching out and attempting to claw Bloody Bones away from Jack.

Bloody Bones let go with a smirk, withdrawing his hand slowly, blood dripping from his nails as more ran down Jack's throat. The Guardians watched in horror as he slowly licked the blood from his fingers.

"You're a monster," Tooth said, feeling sick.

"Yes," Bloody Bones said, licking his lips and smearing blood across them. He reached back in the cage, trailing a finger up Jack's neck to catch the flowing blood. "I know." He licked his finger clean once more, closing his eyes as he savored the taste.

A child's blood was good, but an immortal child's blood? He didn't think there was anything so sweet.

"Anything you need?" Bloody Bones asked his prisoners. "A taste perhaps?"

He laughed at the looks of utter horror that crossed the Guardians' faces

"I'm going to kill you," Bunny promised. Bloody Bones smirked at him and turned to walk out of the room.

"And he won't be alone," North called after him as Sandy cracked his knuckles.

~ROTG~

Once Bloody Bones was gone the Guardians turned their attention back on Jack, worried. He hadn't stirred once, had given no sign of consciousness during that whole incident, and that worried them.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Tooth whispered. She couldn't get the image of her forcing Jack under the water from her mind, couldn't forget her own cruel laughter as Jack gave up and sank further into the waves, lost to her. Was this any different? No, she was no better than her dreamself.

"I don't know," Bunny said, staring at the boy he considered a brother. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid as to trust that Bloody Bones would hold up his side of the deal. Couldn't believe he had fallen for that trap and now Jack was suffering for it. And not only that, but he had been the one to cause Jack that pain. He had been the one to betray him and Bunny felt himself die a little inside. No wonder he'd had a nightmare.

"Of course he will," North said, although he felt no confidence in what he was saying. North was wondering how he could have let this happen, how he could have made it worse. He wondered how he could even consider himself a Guardian if he couldn't even protect the child that was most important to him. He might as well have thrown Jack in a fire. He as good as had done. "He is Jack."

Sandy settled on the floor gloomily, eyes never leaving the white haired figure. He had promised he would never let anything like what had happened between Jack and the other legends happen again, but now, not only had it happened, he had been a part of it. He had allowed Jack's staff to be broken in the hope that they could escape, but that was impossible. They never should have trusted Bloody Bones and Sandy should have known that. Was this situation any different than what he had dreamed? Sandy didn't think so.

All four watched the figure in the other cage, hoping for some sign of life. It was sweltering in the room they were in and each wished they could be outside with the soft breeze and Man in Moon telling them what to do. Because he would know what to do, how to help.

But they were deep underground, there was no help for them, and the only exit was the one Bloody Bones had walked through not so long ago.

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

**A/N:** Wow, that got pretty dark in the middle...sorry about that :) Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **New chapter! Hooray! Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting this story, it helps me continue on. Again, sorry that last chapter got a little dark, really don't know where that came from but it seemed to fit. Hope you enjoy this next part! (try not to kill me...)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rise of the Guardians

~~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~~

The Guardians sat, feeling completely helpless as they watched intently for any sign that Jack was recovering. But there was none. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours.

The only mark of passing time was the slow fading of what little color remained in Jack's skin. His white hair lay plastered against his forehead as his breathing came in slow, shallow breaths.

"Jack," Bunny whispered, feeling his heart skip a bit when he realized Jack's breathing was getting slower and shallower.

"Please, no," Tooth whimpered.

"Jack," North repeated.

Sandy was blinking rapidly.

The only thought in their minds was the knowledge that they couldn't lose Jack, not now, not like this. None of them had expected it, but Jack had been the one to make them a family. He was the one that made them smile and laugh, that got them to stop working so hard and have a little fun.

They couldn't just lose him.

Not now.

But Fate is a cruel mistress, and she knew Jack had accomplished what he was meant to. He had helped to defeat Pitch and bring fun back into the world. And now it seemed his 300 year reprieve from death would come to an end.

Jack's breath shuddered on the next inhale and caught in his throat. The others didn't realize they, too, held their breaths, only breathing out when Jack did. Long seconds passed before another breath was drawn, longer seconds as the air trickled back out.

The Guardians felt dizzy as they waited for Jack's next inhale, only to find it would not come.

It would never come.

~~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~~

**A/N:**

**JUST KIDDING!**

**That's not the real chapter, just teasing you all :) **

**'Cause I can, that's why.**

**Here's the real next part!**

**And it's from Jack POV (sort of), so bonus there!**

**ENJOY!**

Jack opened his eyes and glanced around. He wasn't quite sure where he was or how he had gotten there. A soft breeze circled around him and ruffled the leaves on the trees. Everything was lightly frosted, sparkling in the sunlight, and Jack wiggled his toes in the cool ice that covered the springy grass.

He doubted he would ever stop enjoying the feeling of cold against his skin.

The breeze blew once more, creating the only sound in a frozen forest of silence.

"Wind?" Jack called out, sensing his friend was nearby.

To his surprise he heard a faint squeak, before something tumbled through the tree leaves to land in front of him.

Jack squinted his eyes, unsure if he was really seeing what he was seeing. Small particles of ice, snow, leaves, dirt, and grass were swirling around, caught in a breeze, and soon formed the figure of a girl.

She wore a dress of green that sparkled with ice, her hair falling in waves of brown down her shoulders. Jack could make out these details, even though the figure was mostly transparent; the items used to create the image swirled as though caught in a peculiar tornado.

"Hello Wind," Jack said, smiling. He had never seen his best friend take on human form before, but he knew his friend well enough to know it was her.

"Jack!" Wind exclaimed, a relieved smile touching her lips. "Are you okay?"

Wind was honestly surprised to see Jack, and quite pleased. She had felt her connection to the boy break and was horrified there was nothing she could do, especially since Jack had been taken deep underground where she could not follow. It pained her to know that she could not even be there for him.

That in turn had infuriated her to the point that several tornados had touched down around the world and the coasts found themselves dealing with the unexpectedness of a sudden hurricane or tsunami. But Wind didn't care about that.

All she cared about was the fact someone had taken her Jack.

Taken him and hurt him.

And nobody took Jack from her and hurt him.

Nobody.

She would make Tommy Rawhead pay.

In her anger she had been flitting about the area Jack had disappeared, hoping to catch sight of the one who had stolen him from her. So it was much to her surprise that Jack had called out to her and now stood before her. Although, on closer look, Wind realized he wasn't truly there, even if he had yet to realize that fact himself.

A touch of sadness marred her smile.

Jack was still stuck underground; they didn't have much time together.

"I think so," Jack said, answering her question and pulling her from her thoughts. "I mean, I don't remember what happened. Or where we are. Or what we were doing." Jack looked down, studying his feet. There was something odd about them.

"Jack," Wind said, wafting closer to him. She reached her hand out, placing it under his chin. He moved his head up to meet her eyes.

"What's going on?" Jack asked, feeling strangely lightheaded.

He had just noticed what was odd, had just realized that while his feet were touching the ground there was no mark to show where he stood. And while Wind's breezes danced through the trees and all around him, they never actually touched him, they never ruffled his hair like usual.

It was almost as if he wasn't really there.

"You're not," Wind said, as though reading his mind.

"I'm not?" Jack asked, confused.

"Really here," Wind explained. She wished she could tell him otherwise, wished he really was, but it wasn't to be.

"I don't understand," Jack said. He reached a hand up to touch the dangling leaves of a tree, but his hand passed through it. "Am I dead?" As he said it he felt he should feel afraid, or at least worried. But all he felt was calm.

"I do not believe so," Wind said, thinking.

Wind was old, had been around for thousands of years, witnessing many strange and wonderful occurrences. But she had only witnessed what was occurring just once before in her lifetime, or at least, what she thought was occurring.

"Then how am I here? And where am I really?"

"Jack," Wind said, fighting to find the right words. What was happening was extremely complicated and even Wind did not fully understand it, making it hard to explain precisely what it was. "Your body is still down in the ground where that awful Tommy character took you."

"Tommy," Jack said, his mind flashing back to losing his fight with Bloody Bones and consequently getting thrown in that awful cage.

"Yes," Wind said. "And now something has happened that has allowed you to wander free of your body, although I do now know for how long."

"My staff," Jack said, suddenly remembering the resounding crack and the breath-taking pain. "It's broken."

"Yes, it is. I believe it being broken is what brought you here."

"But North," Jack said, glancing around as if the Russian would pop out of the woodwork. "Bunny, Tooth, Sandy, they should be free now."

"They have not returned to the surface," Wind said. "I have been watching."

"Then that means Tommy still has them."

Wind remained silent. It was getting harder to retain her form, and even more difficult to speak while doing so. It was her first time attempting it, after all.

"I have to help the others, if they're still trapped in those awful cages…" Jack ran a hand through his hair. "But then again, I'm probably still trapped too, right?"

"Yes, I believe so," Wind said.

"But," Jack said, feeling desperate. He wanted to get his friends out of this mess. _He _wanted to get out of this mess. "Wind, what can I do?"

Wind was silent a moment, preparing herself. Jack had made the first step, whether intentional or not, now it was her turn to choose. She could decide not to take the next step, but she feared it might bring an end to Jack if she did so, and she definitely did _not_ want that.

But this next step...It could destroy them both.

Jack shuddered, a ripple of pain shooting through him.

"What's happening?"

"You're waking up," Wind said, making her decision. Really, it wasn't a decision after all; Wind knew she would do anything for Jack.

"But, no, we've got to do something," Jack said, fighting back another wave of pain. "Please."

"We will, Jack. Now take my hand," Wind said urgently, holding out her hand.

"But I'm not really here," Jack protested, remembering how everything just passed through him.

Wind smiled. "Neither am I. Quickly now," Wind's form flickered as she fought to keep it. "We do not have much time left."

Wondering what would happen, but knowing he trusted Wind beyond anything in the world, Jack reached his hand out and gripped the swirling winds.

A rushing sound grew in his mind, forming into the words of wind and ice until they drowned out all else and the world went dark once more.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Alright, next part! And I'm sorry it's short, but I'm really quite pleased with the way it turned out. So it will remain short. And cheesy, there is cheese in this chapter, but it was just so much fun :)

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy this next part!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Rise of the Guardians.

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

North didn't know how long they sat locked up, staring at Jack and hoping that somehow, someway, they'd get out of this mess. That they'd all be okay.

Footsteps drew all four Guardians' attention back to the entrance and they all watched as Bloody Bones walked in.

"Get out," Bunny snarled, although it was weak. The extended time imprisoned in the cage was taking its toll on all of them.

"Enjoying your alone time, are you?" Bloody Bones asked, reveling in the sight of the great Guardians reduced to the slouching figures in his cage. He had finally done what Pitch could not, and he was going to enjoy his victory.

He wandered over to where Jack Frost still lay, motionless, and studied the boy. The blood had dried on his throat where his nails had previously pierced the skin and Bloody Bones reached his hand through the bars once more, stroking his fingers over the crusty reddish brown staining the pale neck.

"Get away from him."

Bloody Bones turned with a smile to face the Queen of the Tooth Fairies as she glared at him, small hands wrapped around the black of the cage bars.

"These really are my masterpieces," Bloody Bones said, moving his hands from the winter spirit to run them along the bars of Jack's cage, stroking them almost lovingly. "Wouldn't you agree?" he asked, looking through the bars at the four Guardians.

"Oh yeah," Bunny said, sarcasm thick in his voice. "Real works of art, these death traps."

"I'm glad you think so," Bloody Bones said, finishing his circuit around Jack's cage before turning his attention to the person inside it. "Still hasn't stirred, has he?"

All four Guardians glared, but didn't say anything.

"It's a shame, really," Bloody Bones said. "Maybe I should see if I can wake him up."

"Leave him alone," North growled out.

"But how?" Bloody Bones speculated, ignoring the threats emanating from behind him. "Something bloody, of course. But should I go for the throat?" He lay a finger against Jack's throat. "Or the wrists?" Now he moved his fingers down to hover over the pulse point in Jack's wrist.

"You vile creature!" Tooth shrieked.

"Now, now, my dear, you only have to ask should you want a taste," Bloody Bones smirked, turning to the Guardians to catch their look of absolute horror.

Jack stirred just then, although no one noticed. He opened his eyes, taking in the scene before him as Bloody Bones taunted his family. Strength coursed through him and he inhaled deeply, feeling Wind's power racing through his veins, more ancient and powerful than the horrid magic used to create the cages.

"Now," Bloody Bones said, turning back to Jack as the Guardians shouted at him desperately.

Jack's cage exploded, shattering into a million pieces of white light, black dust and shards of frost, throwing Bloody Bones back to slam into the other cage. Bunny and North, pushing away their shock, reached through the bars, pulling Bloody Bones tight against them.

The light died down as Jack floated gently to the floor.

"Jack!" Tooth cried, unable to believe what had just happened, but so relieved that it had.

Jack held out his hand and the pieces of his staff that the Guardians had set carefully aside flew into it, flashing with a blue light. Jack brought the bottom of his staff down to pound the floor and ice spread from the tip to engulf the room, turning it from boiling hot to bitingly cold.

"Impossible," Bloody Bones gasped, eyes wide in shock.

"Nothing is impossible," Jack spoke, but his voice seemed two toned, as though another, more feminine voice, spoke with him. "Not as long as you believe."

Jack pointed his staff directly at Bloody Bones and North and Bunny were quick to let go. A blast of icy white light engulfed Tommy Rawhead, encasing him completely in ice.

Jack then walked over to the cage his family was in, tapping it lightly with his staff. The black bars dissolved in a soft white light, leaving the Guardians standing on the ground, stunned.

"Dramatic much?" Bunny asked after a moment of silence passed.

Jack grinned.

_Be prepared for the after effects,_ Wind whispered to Jack.

_Right,_ Jack replied. He couldn't quite understand what had just happened, couldn't even explain _how_ it had happened. But somehow Wind had combined not just her powers, but her whole being, with him. They had become connected on a whole new level, their powers multiplied exponentially with the connection.

But Wind had warned him of the dangers of such a connection. She had explained, briefly, how such a connection was extremely draining to both parties and how that much power could end up back firing on both of them.

However, the connection was exactly what had been needed. The consequence, of course, would be extreme fatigue, if they managed not to burn themselves up in the process. Which they both hoped didn't happen. It didn't sound like much fun.

"Jack, how did you do that?" Tooth asked, encircling him in a hug.

_See you when you get to the surface,_ Wind told him, and Jack braced himself.

"Long story," he muttered as all the power he felt coursing through him drained away.

He swayed, crumpling in Tooth's arms as his vision went gray and he allowed himself to black out, Tooth's alarmed cries ringing in his ears.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **It has been far too long since I have updated this, and I apologize. On a happy note, if I had updated when planned (last week...) it probably would have been the last chapter. Instead, this kept plaguing me and now this story is going to be longer than I originally thought. :) Also, I know this chapter is short, and I'm sorry, but I just couldn't make it longer...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Rise of the Guardians

* * *

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

_He swayed, crumpling in Tooth's arms as his vision went gray and he allowed himself to black out, Tooth's alarmed cries ringing in his ears._

"Jack!" North, Bunny, and Sandy all leapt forward to help Tooth with the now unconscious winter spirit.

"We should get him outside," Bunny said. The room was icy cold now, but it was devoid of fresh air and the Bloody Bones icicle was giving him the creeps.

North nodded and hefted Jack's slender form into his arms, and they headed for the exit.

A slight breeze stirred around them as they exited the horrible cave, ruffling Jack's hair. Sandy smiled and waved, recognizing that the wind was there.

"Sandy, who are you waving to?" North asked as he noticed the Guardian of Dreams wave at nothing in particular.

Sandy turned to the Russian, a picture of three curvy lines appearing above his head.

"Er, right mate," Bunny said, shaking his head.

Wind swirled around the group again, laughing softly as she looked down at her boy. She herself was exhausted from their experience, but she knew she was no where near as tired as Jack must be, as he had been the conduit for all that power.

She followed them wearily as Bunny tapped his foot on the ground, creating a portal. It was the quickest way of travel for them, given they had no snow globes and no sleigh at the present time. Wind leapt in the hole after North and tumbled through the passageways until she came up into Santoff Claussen. It was a strange way to travel, one she didn't like very much at all, but she wanted to stay with Jack, and traveling by air would have taken much too long with how tired she was.

North grumbled as he tumbled out of the hole Bunny had created, careful to not injure the boy in his arms. He hated traveling by Pooka Holes, but there really hadn't been a better option.

"We should get him to his room," Tooth said, flitting from one side of North to the other. "Make sure he's okay."

"I'm sure he's fine," Bunny grumbled. He wanted to believe that Jack was fine, after that awesome display of power he had shown, but he also knew that after all those hours in an overheated underground cavern with Bloody Bones taunting them, there was quite the possibility that Jack wasn't well. And Bunny wanted to clean off the blood that still stained Jack's neck. He couldn't suppress the shiver that resulted as he thought of Bloody Bones licking the blood from his fingers. How could someone get so twisted? Why were their spirits like that in this world?

Sandy followed behind the others as they headed up the stairway to Jack's room, smiling slightly as the wind rustled around them. He truly couldn't understand how the others didn't notice that the wind seemed to cling to Jack, but it was becoming more and more apparent to him that the wind was also a living spirit, and that Jack seemed very important to it. Sandy even imagined he could hear a soft voice in the breezes sometimes when he came upon Jack talking to himself. He had chalked it up to a lonely boy making conversation to keep himself company, but now he realized Jack had been talking to the wind. He wondered how Jack had learned to do that, and if it was possible for others to do that as well. After all, nearly every legendary spirit needed the wind at some point.

North settled Jack down on the bed as Phil followed, carrying a bowl of icy water, clean rags, and white bandages. North pulled up a stool with a heavy sigh and settled beside Jack, accepting a damp rag from Phil and gently washing the blood from the winter spirit's neck. He didn't even want to remember how the blood had gotten there; the thought was just too disturbing.

"It feels like we just went through this," Tooth said, settling down on Jack's other side to run her fingers through his hair. "Is he really going to be alright?"

North sighed, biting his lip in an uncharacteristic sign of worry. He kept his hand moving steadily, cleaning the cut left by Bloody Bones' nail, being extra sure it was disinfected properly. However, with the dried blood out of the way the cut began to bleed once more. North hurriedly grabbed a stack of gauze to press against the wound.

"It shouldn't still be bleeding," Bunny said, shifting uncomfortably as the gauze was slowly stained red.

"Why is he still bleeding," Tooth asked at the same time. "Were you being too rough on him?"

"I don't think so," North said, furrowing his brow as he reached for more gauze to stem the flow. He held the gauze there, not sure what to do. He didn't want to apply more pressure and cut off Jack's ability to breathe, but if he didn't keep some pressure on it the cut would just continue to bleed. Finally, he decided on wrapping a bandage around Jack's neck to keep the gauze in place, hoping that would apply enough pressure.  
Once that was done, he carefully checked over the boy for other signs of injury, but besides a bump on the head, the one that had probably lead to his capture, Jack seemed relatively unscathed, for which North was grateful.

"Why's he unconscious?" Tooth asked. "Is he sleeping?" she turned her eyes on Sandy, who shook his head. Jack wasn't sleeping; he was truly unconscious, completely knocked out.

"I have theory," North said, still trying to puzzle it out in his mind. "But I'm not sure."

"Well, what is it?" Bunny demanded.

"He Connected," North said.

"Connected?" Tooth and Bunny asked as Sandy's eyes lit up. "What's that?"

"Is long story," North said.

"And we've got time," Bunny said, settling down on the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Well, this turned out different than what I originally planned. Seems to be on par with the rest of this story though. Sorry if it seems a bit weird, I've kinda've had a hard time getting motivation to write. Someone sideswiped my car the other day, leaving a massive dent, and just the thought of all the stupid hoops I need to jump through to fix it makes me sick to my stomach.

Anyways, hope you enjoy it regardless!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Rise of the Guardians

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

North sighed, debating the best way to put this. Wind had to sympathize with him, she didn't think she had explained it very well to Jack. Not that she had had much time to speak with him about it in the first place.

"It is extremely rare," North began. "I've only heard of one other instance of it, and of that, only in my books. The last time this happened was thousands of years ago. Of course, like I said, I'm not sure if this is what happened with Jack."

"Get on with it," Bunny said when North paused for a short time.

"Well, Connecting, from what I understand, is when two spirits such as us form a bond strong enough that it allows the two to work together in complete harmony. It, well, combines their power, I suppose, and magnifies it."

Tooth pursed her lips, not entirely sure she understood what he was saying.

"Perhaps reading story will help, yes?" North said. He wasn't sure he could explain it otherwise and he didn't remember the story well enough to tell it. When the others nodded, North stood and made his way to the library. It took him some time to locate the book, mostly because the yetis kept pestering about this or that concerning the coming holiday and the elves kept getting underfoot, but he eventually found it.

He returned with the heavy volume to Jack's room, eyes immediately falling on the winter spirit.

"Any change?" he asked as he settled in his chair by the bed once more.

"None," Bunny grunted.

"Sandy?" Tooth asked, hoping Jack had by now merely slipped into sleep. The Guardian of Dreams shook his head, frowning.

North sighed and ran a hand down his face before opening the book. "Well, we have time for story, then," he decided, locating the short section that held the story about Connecting.

The other Guardians settled about the room, gathered around like little children to listen to a bedtime story. Wind herself settled down around her boy, keeping his brow cool as she listened to the Russian speak. She wondered if this story would be the same as the one time she remembered seeing this happen, or if it was a different time.

North scanned through the pages until he found what could be considered the beginning of the story, cleared his throat, and began to read.

"It was a time when many spirits could be seen, and guardian spirits were plentiful and needed because of the evil spirits that walked the earth. At one point, however, all seemed to be lost. He called himself the Dark King, and he made it his goal to destroy the guardian spirits and plunge the world into a state of fear, pain, and death.

"He began his reign by capturing spirits, leading their friends into traps to subdue them as well. The power of the guardians began to fail and spirits and humankind alike entered a dark time. None were safe from the power and wrath of the Dark King, and many joined his cause over being destroyed.

"There were two, though, that stood up to the Dark King: A simple forest spirit and a guardian of childhood dreams. The two had been friends for hundreds of years and knew they had to stop the Dark King, or die trying because the world they lived in was theirs to protect.

"But tragedy fell when the Dark King captured the guardian of childhood dreams, using the guardian spirit to lure in the forest spirit, the last of those resisting him.

"The forest spirit was not sure what to do, knowing that to rescue the guardian spirit would mean the destruction of both. Many nights passed, and the forest spirit began to fear for the guardian spirit, and the guardian spirit prayed the forest spirit would not come. Would find another way to defeat the Dark King.

"One night, the guardian spirit collapsed from the exhaustion and pain inflicted by the Dark King. At the same time, the forest spirit felt compelled to lie down and rest. That was when the two spoke together. Not truly face to face, but somehow seeing each other once more. Knowing that this was their chance, the forest spirit took the guardian spirit's hand and together they descended into blackness.

"They later described what happened next as becoming closer to each other and their powers than they ever had been. They called it Connecting, and it was through this act, this combining of powers, that they were able to overthrow the Dark King, beat him at his own game when his captive suddenly turned a massive amount of power on him, leaving him to flee earth, nothing more than a passing shadow.

"The guardian spirit and the forest spirit had brought light back into the world, had saved those they cared for, but it came at a price.

"The cost of Connecting nearly drained their powers, causing them both to fall into dreamless sleep for many days."

North sighed, about the close the book when he noticed there was more to the story. More that he had not read. Frowning, he squinted at the words, and began to read once more.

"The guardian spirit and the forest spirit remained close friends for many years, and remembered what it felt to Connect. Then, when the need arose with a powerful evil spirit, they Connected once more.

"The toll, however, was more than they could handle. The evil spirit was defeated, but the two friends died in the process of saving those they loved."

North stared at the book for a time, unsure if he had read that correctly. It was in Latin, after all, and he wasn't the best at translating into English aloud. But he had read it right.

"They died?" Tooth asked, pressing her hands to her mouth.

"Is what it says," North said, taking a moment to glance at Jack's still form. Still, but for the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

Wind sighed. It was the story she knew, although she had not cared enough of the world when the Dark King gained power, she had learned of the two spirits who had defeated him, and had learned of how they did it. Intrigued, she had followed them for the remainder of their lives, watching as they defeated a horrifying shadow creature, only to burn up in the swirl of power that had engulfed them and drained from them when they joined.

That was why she had been so nervous to Connect with Jack. She hadn't wanted to risk the same thing happening to either of them. But it had been needed, and she couldn't explain how she knew it, or how she knew that they could Connect like that. It had simply happened.

"No sense worrying like that," Bunny said, leaning forward to look at Jack.

"What makes you say that?" Tooth asked.

"It's not like Jack really Connected, right?" Bunny said. "I mean, who would he have Connected with?"

North and Tooth thought about this. It was true, Jack may have some random sometimes friends in the spirit community, but the story made it sound as though they had to have known each other extremely well, and for many years. No spirit fit that description with Jack.

Wind huffed at that. Honestly, did no one truly know she existed beyond Jack? Existed as more than merely a force?

Sandy's eyes lit up and he bounced up and down. He knew exactly who Jack had Connected with.

"Yes, Sandy?" North asked.

The three swirly lines appeared above Sandy's head once more.

"Yeah, I don't get it," Bunny said, raising an eyebrow. "Worms?"

"Oh, snakes?" Tooth said, tilting her head.

Sandy shook his head, stomping his foot in frustration. He pursed his lips and blew out a stream of air.

"Lost me there, mate, sorry," Bunny said.

"I don't know what you are saying, Sandy," North shook his head.

Sandy sighed, turning to look back at Jack. He could almost see the figure of a girl sitting beside Jack on the bed, running her fingers through his hair, hair that fluttered in a slight breeze.

Wind turned to look at Sandy and smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Just a shorty this time, but I like this chapter. But maybe that's because I like Phil and like to imagine the relationship between Jack and Phil.

Enjoy!

Oh, and on a side note, I don't know how regularly I'll be updating my stories. Classes just started up and they are a pain in th PERIOD!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Rise of the Guardians

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

Jack was still unconscious the next day when the others woke up in the cold room with stiff limbs and frozen fingers, wings, and paws. There was still no sign that Jack was beginning to wake up, and Sandy shook his head when asked if the boy was, at the very least, sleeping rather than unconscious.

"But, he was unconscious for three days after his fixed his staff," Tooth said, trying to convince herself that everything was okay. "So this isn't unusual, right?"

"How should we know?" Bunny demanded. "I still don't understand the kid."

"None of us do," North said. He had thought he was getting to know Jack better, but he was quickly learning that he had only scratched the surface.

All four guardians were freezing, but all four were still rather reluctant to want to leave Jack up in his room all alone.

"Go warm up," North directed. "I will stay."

"Nah mate, I'm okay," Bunny said, despite the chattering of his teeth. "You go get warmed up."

"I can stay with him," Tooth protested.

Sandy shook his head and pointed to himself, clearly indicating that he could stay.

"You are freezing," North pointed out to the other three.

"So are you," Bunny and Tooth shot back.

Phil put an end to the discussion when he arrived and shooed all four guardians from the room, or well, bodily pushed them from the room and slammed the door on their faces.

"Well I never!" Tooth exclaimed, but she was relieved. She could already feel the warmth washing over her, making her skin tingle and her wings flutter as the blood began to flow through them once more.

"The nerve," Bunny muttered, already enjoying the warmth that now surrounded them.

Sandy shook his head, but sighed. It was probably for the best that they all left for a while. They would take turns watching over Jack later, for now, they all needed to warm up.

North frowned at the door, but he knew that Phil would not let anything happen to Jack, and would get them if something changed.

"Hot chocolate, I think," North said. "And cookies!"

"You always want cookies," Bunny pointed out, but followed North nonetheless.

Phil grumbled good-naturedly at the retreating voices on the other side of the door before settling in a chair beside Jack's bed. He looked the boy over with a frown marring his features. Ever since Jack had first broken into Santoff Claussen all those years ago in his ratty brown cloak Phil had decided he liked the boy.

Not that he had had much chance to let the boy know. He had been worried when the boy had fallen from the window and into the snow below, but by the time he actually managed to make it outside where Jack had landed, the boy was gone, leaving no trace of his being there besides the ice covering the burned wreckage of a cookie experiment gone wrong.

But the boy had been okay, because he had been back not long after that, looking for another way into Santoff Claussen. Phil had stopped him once more, after all, his orders were his orders, he was not allowed to outsiders in without North's permission.

But Jack returned once again.

And again.

And again.

It became a sort of game between the two, with Jack finding new and more innovative ways to enter, coming at all times of the day or night, at any time in the year. But Phil always caught him before he managed to break in farther than getting in a window.

After shooing the boy away from the factory, Phil always offered him a plate of cookies (they were always in excess around here), and Jack would take one, grin, and take off to the skies with a laugh.

The first time Jack came through the workshop with North during the Pitch crisis, Phil had been surprised, but pleasantly so. Of course he would never to Jack that, but still.

After they defeated Pitch and Jack became a guardian, he also became a regular visitor to Santoff Claussen. A regular, accepted visitor.

Phil had to admit he sometimes missed their games of sneak and entry. Jack obviously did to, because he often meandered into places he shouldn't, and grinned when Phil shooed him out and offered him cookies.

But now, for the third time since Jack had become a guardian, he was unconscious in this bed. And Phil did not like it one bit. The first time had been frightening. The second, anger inducing that someone could do so much damage to the fun loving winter spirit. But this time, this time Phil was plain unhappy. Never had any of the other guardians experienced anything like this. None of them ever passed out from exhaustion and injuries. Phil didn't think it was fair that Jack should have to.

That, and he missed playing with the boy.

His only hope was that the boy would recover soon.

Phil sighed, grumbled a bit more, and hunkered down to watch Jack Frost as the wind ruffled through his fur, keeping him pleasantly cool.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Sorry it's taken so long to update! Like I warned, things are a little crazy right now, and well, crazier than planned. On top of school and work I was out of town for five days then moved rather abruptly closer to work and well, things are just strange getting settled in at a new apartments and I just don't know what to think half the time any more! And I really don't know if any of that made any sense but I can't bring myself to care because I'm tired and going to bed after posting this.

Anyways, hope you enjoy this next chapter! I promise I haven't forgotten my other stories either! I will get to them eventually.

Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting, you are all amazing!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rise of the Guardians.

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

After much arguing, threatening, and promises, North finally settled into the chair beside Jack, a warm blanket wrapped around his shoulders as his fellow Guardians went about their duties. He couldn't blame them for not wanting to leave Jack, but really, each of them had duties that required their attention, and they could only be gone from said duties for so long before the consequences became grave.

So it had been decided that they would take shifts watching over Jack, much like the last time this had happened, not even a full year ago.

North sighed and ran a hand down his face. It just didn't seem fair that Jack was the one to have to go through this again.

"You must stop doing this to me, Jack," North told the motionless boy. "You are giving me grey hairs."

Considering his hair was completely white, North had meant this as a joke, but there was no one to hear or laugh. Well, no one that he knew of, not being aware of Wind still curled protectively around her boy.

Settling back into his chair, North studied Jack's face. It was peaceful, relaxed even, and his breathing was deep and rhythmic. All together, despite the eerie similarities to the last time North had sat vigil, this time was much preferred. At least Jack was not injured and his staff was fixed once more.

"You know how much you mean to us, don't you Jack?" North asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer, but needing to fill the silence. "How much you mean to me?"

And it was true. Jack Frost had burrowed his way into North's heart and despite what his element entailed, had warmed North's heart considerably. Barely a year as an official Guardian and North felt like he had known the boy for a very long time, had cared for the boy for a long time.

Barely a year since he had officially met the boy, and now North viewed him as the son he had never had.

And boy was Jack Frost like North was he was young. Wild and mischievous and fierce and loyal. It made North proud, even if it sometimes gave him a headache, and more often than not caused him undue stress as he worried about the boy.

Because he did. North worried about Jack more than he cared to admit, worried about him despite knowing that Jack could, in most cases, take care of himself. Because Jack was powerful. He had proven that to them time and again, always surprising the others with new tricks or powers they did not know he possessed.

But it was also his powers that worried North. After all, they did seem to wear Jack down quite a bit. And this new display, what had happened with Bloody Bones…North shook his head. Despite what Bunny had said, North knew, just _knew,_ that Jack had Connected. Could tell from the duality of Jack's voice when he had spoken and the amount of power he had displayed, far greater than anything North had seen. Which only made North wonder who he had Connected with. Who was Jack closest to, besides them?

"You are still mystery, Jack," North told the boy. "I doubt other parents have as much trouble with children as I have with you."

North fell silent once more, thinking about how they came to be here, and the difference in his life since Jack came into it.

It was truly astounding what one teenage winter spirit could change in the course of a year. While it had taken Jack a long time to overcome his loner ways (and Jack still spent far too much time alone for North's liking), he had still turned all the other Guardians' lives on their ears as he proved you could still accomplish your tasks while having fun. He had taught them all that sometimes you had to put aside deadlines and worries and just have a snowball fight.

North smiled. "You really are Guardian of Fun, Jack."

But even with his carefree nature, Jack still did what was needed. Still stood up to dangers North wished he could protect him from. Had stood up for dangers before North had gotten to know the boy. And if North could go back in time and change anything, it would be how he had treated Jack in the previous three hundred years before he became a Guardian.

It was the thing that haunted North the most, despite the fact that Jack didn't seem to hold it against him or the others. And North knew it haunted the others as well. Knew they all regretted not getting to know the boy better, or at all. It was their job to be welcoming to new spirits, to let them know the ropes and help them adjust to their new lives.

Yet they had ignored Jack, shunned him. None of them had even known that Jack didn't have his memories, didn't know who he was or what his purpose was. None of them even knew how Jack came to be a Guardian. They had asked, of course, after the whole Pitch incident. But Jack merely smiled and didn't talk about it.

And it frustrated North, because he wished Jack would talk about his past a bit more. Talk about the other times his staff was broken, or how the other spirits had treated him (because it was obvious some spirits did not treat Jack well at all), or simply tell them who he was close enough with that he could Connect with them.

"One day, Jack, you will have to explain some things," North said.

"I doubt that'll happen, mate," Bunny said, stepping into the room.

"Time is over already?" North asked, realizing for the first time how cold he really was.

"Yep, go get warmed up, mate," Bunny said. "Because I think there's a big argument going on amongst the Yeti's you'll need to deal with."

North swore in Russian and hurried from the room, oblivious to the laughter of Wind as he hurried to stop a disaster brewing in the workshop. Bunny shook his head at the Cossack and closed the door before pulling the abandoned blanket around himself and settling down.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Alright you lucky readers, I am procrastinating homework, so you get this! Totally went off on a tangent from what I had planned for Bunny, but once it was written out, I couldn't bring myself to change it. So, have fun with it!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rise of the Guardians

~~RiseOfTheGuardains~~

Bunny heaved a sigh as he studied Jack's face. It was too pale, too still, he didn't like it.

Over the course of the year, Bunny had come to associate Jack with liveliness, activity, constant motion, and joy. He was never one to just sit still and do nothing. It just wasn't like him, even in sleep. So the fact that Jack was now, once again, reduced to still, silent slumber, well, it unnerved Bunny.

Sure they had their differences, their arguments and bickering, but it was normal for brothers to act that way and it in no way meant that Bunny wished harm on Jack. Nor did he wish to ever see Jack in such a state as this.

And he had promised himself last year he never would have to again. Last year when the other spirits stole Jack's staff and beat him half to death in the heat of Pakistan.

Bunny shoved that thought away before the anger could brew. He still did not understand how Jack could forgive April and the others so easily. Still could not understand how Jack had forgiven him so easily. But he could admit he was grateful for it.

After all, Jack Frost might annoy the heck out of him, might push every single button he had and over step his bounds in more ways than five, but having the boy in his life, well, it had changed things for Bunny. Had changed _him_ for the better.

After all, Bunny knew how to have fun now, and boy did he have fun playing pranks on Jack. But he also learned what it was like to be a big brother. And while he had felt he had a family with the other Guardians, it had never seemed complete, never seemed real, until Jack stepped in and made it so.

Jack was the one who gave them a reason to laugh, to smile, to take a break from their duties and spend time together. Jack had literally turned their lives around and for good measure, twisted them upside down until none of them knew where they stood anymore in relation to the other. All they knew was that they were family, and family stood up for each other, family cared for each other. Family helped each other in the hard times and the easy times and never really asked for anything in return but it didn't matter because you always got what you needed from your family.

But now, Bunny had failed Jack once again. He had failed his younger brother and he wasn't sure he would ever be able to forgive himself.

"I'm sorry, Jack," Bunny said. "We should have done something more. We should have tried harder. You shouldn't have had to save our butts. We shoulda been the ones saving you. But we failed you. I failed you."

Bunny's eyes traveled from Jack's face to the white bandages around the boy's neck and he shuddered as his mind was brought back to that horrific nightmare he had had while in that cage.

He could still feel the weak struggles of Jack against his paws, could still hear the strangled, pleading gasps and see the life drain from those brilliant blue eyes.

Could still feel that cold, awful pleasure he had gained from draining the life from the boy.

How could he have dreamed something so horrible? How could he, even in his dreams, do something like that to his brother? What did that say about him?

Bunny continued to stare at the white bandage, unable to pull his eyes away. How easy it would be to wrap his paws around that neck. How simple it would be to just squeeze. There would be no fight this time, no struggle. No sign of what was happening except the stilling of blood beneath his paws…

Bunny wrenched his gaze away from Jack with a gasp, turning his face towards the window and the steady, cold breeze than entered from it. He took several deep breaths, trying to quell the nausea that had reared up at those awful thoughts. He swallowed several times against the bitter taste in his mouth and stood up.

"I'm sorry, mate," he said again, quieter this time as he continued to stare out the window. "I'm so sorry. I hope you know I would never, _never_ hurt you."

Bunny forced himself to turn back around and face Jack.

"I'll be better, from now on. I promise," Bunny said.

He still couldn't shake the shadow of that nightmare, and while he wanted to assure himself that Jack was alive, he was afraid to touch him. What if he really did try to kill Jack?

"You're being stupid," Bunny muttered to himself. He swallowed once more and stepped towards Jack, brushing the boy's bangs from his forehead, completely unaware of Wind, who was watching the encounter from her place next to Jack.

Something tapped Bunny's shoulder and he jumped about three feet in the air and whirled around. Sandy waved to him, before pointing to his wrist, where a sand watch appeared.

"Your watch?" Bunny asked, surprised that his time was already up.

Sandy nodded.

"Okay then. I'm gonna go get warmed up, it's bloody freezing in here."

And with that, Bunny fled the room, ignoring the question mark above Sandy's head, not wanting to admit to the nightmare that still shadowed his vision.

After all, he was sure it would stay there until Jack was back on his feet and annoying him once more, and he doubted any amount of talking would change that.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Well this chapter took a completely different tone than I planned. But I kinda like it. It's more like stream of thought at first, then morphs into a little silent communication. Anyways, it's short, but I couldn't bring myself to add more, just didn't seem right. ENJOY!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rise of the Guardians

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

Sandy hummed silently to himself as he settled in the chair beside Jack's bed, a worried frown on his face. Jack was still unconscious, away from the world of dreams, and Sandy didn't like it. It made him feel powerless.

He thought about the haunted look in Bunny's eyes when he had arrived and wondered what had put it there. Was Jack worse than before?

But no, Bunny would have said so had that been the case. They would have gotten North up here right away too, being as the Russian was the closest thing they had to a doctor.

So what had Bunny looking so haunted? Could he have had a nightmare about Jack? Sandy was sure it was in the realm of possibilities, especially given his own nightmare.

Sandy shuddered and pushed those thoughts aside; they came way too close to home for comfort, reminded him of those nights he spent with Jack where they played and created wonders. Sandy loved those nights, loved watching the wonder and excitement in Jack's face as he created new things for the winter spirit, and loved watching Jack create his own masterpieces in snow.

It made him feel like an older brother to Jack, when they played like that, because Jack was always so proud of what he did, always wanted Sandy's approval. And Sandy was only too happy to give it.

The feelings of being an older brother had only increased after Jack became a guardian. Sandy found that not only did he want Jack to come to him to play and show off, but he also wanted Jack to come to him when he needed help or advice. He wanted to be there for Jack, and most of all, he wanted to protect Jack.

Yes, Jack Frost brought out the protective side of Sandy that he had never known he had.

He shuddered, remembering the fight with Pitch when the children had brought him back. Remembered the fury he had felt when Pitch tried to attack Jack when his back was turned. Remembered the fear he felt when Pitch had nearly succeeded. He was very glad the children had brought him back when they did.

He had only worried more when Jack had passed out on their way back to Santoff Claussen, although it made sense after learning that Pitch had broken Jack's staff and he had had to fix it. Coupled with the intense fight and use of power, it was no wonder the winter spirit had collapsed.

Sandy sighed, remembering how he had promised himself he wouldn't let anything happen to Jack, had sworn to himself after April and the others had attacked him.

And he had failed. He had failed Jack when Bloody Bones captured them, and he had failed him when they couldn't even escape. Instead, Jack had had to rescue them.

But then, Jack hadn't done it alone.

Sandy offered a small smile in Jack's direction, several symbols forming over his head.

_You are welcome_, a soft voice whispered past his ears. _But thanks are not necessary. Jack is special to me, too._

Sandy nodded. He knew this now. Knew that Jack and Wind were close, closer than any other spirits alive, given the fact that they had Connected. But that also worried Sandy. After all, the only other time a Connection had occurred, the spirits had literally burned up with the power of it. And now Jack was unconscious, unreachable, and Sandy was worried. Had the power been too much for him?

He flashed symbols above his head again, hoping Wind got the message.

As it turned out, she seemed as able to understand him as Jack was.

_He has merely exhausted himself,_ Wind said, voice gentle. _But given rest, he should recover. _

Sandy nodded before forming more symbols.

_I am also exhausted,_ Wind said. _But not as much as Jack. After all, he was the one to channel our powers. _

Again, Sandy nodded. This made sense to him. But he wondered, he was curious…and without realizing it, he was asking another question.

Wind chuckled lightly. _I am not the only wind spirit,_ she explained. _Although I am the oldest. I have four brothers and each controls a corner of the world. My powers are more…extensive…then theirs and I am free to go where I please. _

Sandy nodded. Though he was satisfied with these answers, he found he had many more questions. But Wind's voice was getting weaker, and Sandy was sure she was tiring. He formed the symbol of wind above his head, before several z's.

_Yes,_ Wind replied softly. _I think I will sleep now. Watch over our boy for me._

Sandy nodded. He couldn't explain it, but a warm feeling washed over him when Wind said 'our boy', like she was allowing hime to be a part of Jack's life. Like she was accepting him, just as he accepted her and Jack.

So he would watch over Jack and ensure he remained safe. Because, after all, that's what big brothers did.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Gah! I'm sorry this has taken so long to update. And I'm sorry it's short, but I wanted to get this up for you all. I promise I have not abandoned any of my stories - I just hate school work right now and want to cry cause there is sooooooo much of it that I don't have time to write! It's driving me insane!

Anyways, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Rise of the Guardians...

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

Sandy was sitting in quietly as he worked to assure the children of the world received the good dreams they deserved when he noticed something that set him on edge. He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes as he studied the winter spirit in front of him and then without hesitation headed for the door.

He waved down the first yeti he saw and sent it straight to North, before returning to Jack's room, a frown marring his features. He honestly didn't know what to think of this new development; he could only hope North did.

Five minutes didn't even pass before North stormed into the room, worry in his eyes and Bunny not far behind.

"What is going on?" North demanded. The frantic yeti who had fetched him had only known that Sandy wanted North _now._

Sandy merely pointed to the youngest guardian, motioning towards the bandage wrapped around his neck.

North moved forward with a frown, leaning over Jack.

"What is it?" Bunny asked, trying to see around the large Russian.

"He is not healing," North said in way of answer, carefully unwrapping the bandages from around Jack's neck.

"What do you mean he's not healing?" Bunny demanded.

North collected the clean gauze that had been left on the bedside table, pressing a fresh 4x4 to the cut inflicted by Bloody Bones.

"What's going on?" Tooth asked, flying into a very crowded Jack Frost's room for her turn at sitting with him. Worry immediately consumed her as she caught on to the tension in the room.

"Jack is still bleeding," North said.

"Still?" Tooth asked, unsure she had heard right.

"Yes," North said, adding another 4x4 before taping the bandage down in the hopes of placing more pressure on the wound.

"But shouldn't that have stopped already?" Bunny demanded.

"Yes," North said, backing away from the bed slightly.

Sandy frowned, forming a question mark, not for the other guardians, but for Wind. Did she know what was happening?

_I don't know why he's still bleeding,_ Wind whispered in answer to Sandy's question. _I don't...he's normally a fast healer. _

"Do you think its poison?" Tooth asked hesitantly.

_No, it's not poison,_ Wind answered. _I can tell that much._ She sounded frantic though, and Sandy realized that while she had been with Jack a long time and was close to him, there was relatively little she could do when Jack was injured. He could sympathize with her; after all, he felt pretty helpless and lost himself.

"I do not know," North said, completely unaware of the silent conversation taking place around him. "What do you think?" North turned to Sandy.

Sandy shook his head.

"You don't know either?" North asked.

Sandy shook his head again, creating the symbol for poison above his head before slashing a line through it.

"You don't think its poison," North said.

Sandy nodded.

"Are you sure?" Tooth asked.

_Yes,_ Wind said. Sandy nodded once more.

"Then what could it be?" Bunny asked.

North rubbed at his beard, thinking. "What he did, when he freed us and stopped Bloody Bones, that took lot of power, yes?"

"Well, yeah," Bunny said. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Neither have I," Tooth said.

"I wonder," North said, smoothing his beard.

"What is it?" Bunny demanded. Sandy formed another question mark above his head, this time for North.

"Well, his body is recuperating from use of all that energy, maybe it doesn't have strength yet to heal self."

"You think so?" Tooth asked, flitting over to sit beside Jack and brushing his bangs from his forehead.

"He used up a lot of energy if that's the case," Bunny said with a frown. "Maybe more than he should have."

"That's what worries me," North said.

"Is there a way to tell if his energy is recovering?" Tooth asked.

_It is,_ Wind said. She could feel it, in the back of her mind, that icy power now linked to hers. It was dim, dimmer than her own, but it was there, pulsing softly and growing slowly, steadily stronger. Funny how she hadn't noticed it until just barely, but now that she knew it was there it was easy to see that it was the cause of his slow healing.

Using their combined powers when he had been as weakened as those awful cages had made him had taken a greater toll on him that Wind had first thought. It was probably extremely lucky they hadn't burned up in the process. Oh, what would her four brothers' have said if that had been the case!

"I don't know," North sighed, feeling frustrated. He wished there was more he could do for Jack. He felt so helpless, so useless.

Sandy nodded his head, trying to assure the others that Jack's energy was indeed recovering. Of course, none of them were looking at Sandy.

The guardians stood there for several minutes as Wind fell back asleep, working on recovering her own diminished energy. Finally North sighed.

"There is nothing more we can do than keep that cut clean and hope that he heals soon."

Tooth nodded, still brushing her fingers through Jack's soft hair. "I'll take watch now," she said. "You three look like you could use some rest yourselves."

North looked about ready to protest, but sighed. He did need rest, it was just hard when his thoughts were haunted with that awful nightmare he had had.

"You'll let us know of any changes?" Bunny asked as he, North, and Sandy headed for the door.

"You'll all be the first to know," Tooth promised.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Yay, finally an update! Sorry it's a short one...and I'm not sure how I feel about it...but it's an update! Yay!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Rise of the Guardians

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

_"You'll all be the first to know," Tooth promised._

Tooth settled herself beside Jack, gently brushing her fingers through his hair as she hummed a soft melody – a lullaby from a forgotten time.

She studied the boy beside her, a frown on her face as she hummed. She didn't like how still he was, nor how pale. And she really did not like the white bandage that adorned his neck. Jack and bandages was never a good thing for Tooth.

Tooth had to admit to herself that she had feelings for Jack; perhaps different feelings than what she had originally thought. She wasn't sure though. It was hard to tell how she felt. It was hard to tell how _he_ felt.

Did she love him? Absolutely.

But the way and extent still eluded her. Or perhaps she didn't want to admit to either. Maybe she wasn't ready to.

"Oh Jack," Tooth sighed, breaking the melody of the song. "I just don't know what to think."

She felt the wind rustle around her, ruffling her feathers and causing her to shiver.

Standing from the bed she retrieved the fallen blanket, shaking off a layer of powder before pulling it around her shoulders. Her feathers may keep her warm, but she still got cold when exposed to low temperatures, and the temperature in Jack's room was below freezing.

She turned back to face Jack and caught her breath, her mind flashing to her nightmare – a pale Jack floating below the water.

"He's fine," Tooth muttered to herself as she settled beside him once more. "He's fine and I would never do that."

Wind watched as Tooth settled beside her boy, unsure what to think. She knew that Jack liked the queen of the tooth fairies, knew they got along great, but there was just something about Queen Toothiana that set Wind on edge. Something about her that Wind just did _not_ like. Although she wasn't sure what it was.

_Of course he's fine,_ Wind snapped as Tooth continued to mutter under her breath those words. _The others would be here if he wasn't._

Tooth paused for a moment, tilting her head slightly. She could have sworn someone had spoken. But then again, it was probably her imagination. Her hope that Jack would wake up soon.

"Come on, Jack," Tooth whispered, leaning closer to whisper in his ear. For some reason this made her feel better. "We need you to wake up. I need you to."

_Alright, that's close enough,_ Wind growled, blowing a flurry of snow onto Tooth.

"Jack?" Tooth asked, sitting up slightly and studying his face. Was he the one to pelt her with snow?

_He's still out of it, _Wind pointed out, rather helpfully she thought. _That was me._

There was no answer as Tooth stared at Jack, willing him to open his eyes.

Tooth's eyes were drawn to Jack's pale lips, parted slightly as he breathed. She watched, almost as if in a trance, and vaguely found herself wondering what it would be like to press her lips to his.

Wind watched slightly alarmed as Tooth leaned in close, eyes on Jack's lips. She wasn't jealous, per se. It was just, this was _her _Jack. _Her _boy. She didn't like the thought of someone taking advantage of him while he was out of it.

So she did the only thing she could think to do in her current situation.

She slammed one of the windows closed, causing Tooth to jump away in fright. She glanced around the room, a blush staining her cheeks before she realized she was still alone with Jack.

"Oh, what am I doing?" Tooth muttered.

_That's what I want to know,_ Wind pointed out. She was feeling much better now that there was space between Jack and Tooth.

Tooth shook herself and settled on the vacated chair, unwilling to move closer to Jack in fear she would do something stupid, like try to kiss him again.

The time passed slowly as Tooth watched over Jack, contemplating her awful nightmare and the strange jumble of feelings inside her. None of it made any sense and she wanted to know why.

Jack let out a cry of alarm, tossing his head and causing Tooth to jump in the air.

"Jack!" she exclaimed, fluttering over to him. "Jack, it's okay, I'm here. Just relax."

Jack calmed slightly under her touch, his face relaxing, but he remained unconscious, a level of tension under the surface. Tooth tried to leave to get the others, but every time she stepped away from the bed Jack became agitated once more.

It wasn't much longer until Sandy flew in the window, a frown on his face as he sprinkled dreamsand on Jack, who relaxed completely as good dreams took over. He showed the figure of a nightmare, indicating that that's what had Jack stressed.

Tooth nodded. "So, he's sleeping now?" she asked.

Sandy nodded.

"That's good," she sighed. Jack's little outburst had unsettled her.

_Very good,_ Wind said, feeling rather relieved. She preferred a dreaming Jack to an unconscious one. _Thank you, Sandy._

Sandy nodded, offering both Wind and Tooth a smile before hurrying off to inform North and Bunny.


End file.
